THE wettest January on record is behind the rise in the number of potholes and lack of repairs in south Essex, a councillor has said.

Tony Cox, Southend councillor for highways, struck a downbeat note on the council’s ability to keep up with the mounting repairs after torrential downpours exacerbated the problem last month – and there is no let-up in sight.

He said: “We’ve noticed an increase lately and it’s down to the recent bad weather.

“It’s been the wettest January on record nationally and, when they measured it in Shoebury, they found it had rained near enough every day in January.

“It does take a toll on the roads, but we are reliant on dry weather to repair them.

“I urge everyone to keep reporting potholes though because, if they’re dangerous and large, we will do all we can to make them safe.”

Figures released by Essex County Council revealed thousands of potholes are waiting to be repaired. Between September and December 2013, there were 1,639 examples recorded in Basildon, 1,105 in Castle Point and 848 in Rochford.

This represents an increase of almost 300 in Basildon, 284 on priority roads in Castle Point and 238 in Rochford, in the past three months.

Essex County Council highways councillor Rodney Bass remained optimistic, saying he believed the number of potholes had “peaked” and the council had “turned a corner”.

Barry Baker, 42, of The Hatherley, Basildon, is suing the county council after his windscreen cracked and a tyre punctured when he hit a pothole in Atridge Chase, Billericay, in December. He said: “It’s disgusting the roads are allowed to get into this state. We haven’t even had a harsh winter yet. We need longterm repairs and we need them now.”

Potholes in Southend can be reported by calling 01702 215003 or e-mailing council@southend.

gov.uk Alternatively, fill in the online ‘Problems with Public Highways’ form on www.

southend.gov.uk Potholes in Basildon can be reported by calling 01268 294949 or by e-mailing streetcare@ basildon.gov.uk To report potholes to Essex County Council, visit www.

essex.gov.uk/highways

Comments (11)

Strange how all these motorists doing 20mph seem to damwge their suspension and tyres but there are 'boy racers' tearing it up in Laindon's industrial area and they seem to be immune to danage. What with all that speed and tweaking suspension height and stiffness and fitting low profiles you would think that they would suffering fatal crashes.

Or maybe all these motorists banging their cars up on pothles aren't telling the absolute truth....

Strange how all these motorists doing 20mph seem to damwge their suspension and tyres but there are 'boy racers' tearing it up in Laindon's industrial area and they seem to be immune to danage. What with all that speed and tweaking suspension height and stiffness and fitting low profiles you would think that they would suffering fatal crashes.
Or maybe all these motorists banging their cars up on pothles aren't telling the absolute truth....Howard Cháse

why can't a team of council workman/contractors spend a few weeks driving the roads looking for holes...stopping and doing repairs, all fully equipped trucks to deal with the holes even if they are temp repairs (and who knows those temp repairs might well hold up for a long time)..how hard can that be..? and certainly easy to organise 3 or 4 trucks with a crew of 2/3 blokes(or women if you like), should get rid in no time.

why can't a team of council workman/contractors spend a few weeks driving the roads looking for holes...stopping and doing repairs, all fully equipped trucks to deal with the holes even if they are temp repairs (and who knows those temp repairs might well hold up for a long time)..how hard can that be..? and certainly easy to organise 3 or 4 trucks with a crew of 2/3 blokes(or women if you like), should get rid in no time.DogsMessInLeigh

DogsMessInLeigh wrote:
why can't a team of council workman/contractors spend a few weeks driving the roads looking for holes...stopping and doing repairs, all fully equipped trucks to deal with the holes even if they are temp repairs (and who knows those temp repairs might well hold up for a long time)..how hard can that be..? and certainly easy to organise 3 or 4 trucks with a crew of 2/3 blokes(or women if you like), should get rid in no time.

They don't want to have to spend any money though.

[quote][p][bold]DogsMessInLeigh[/bold] wrote:
why can't a team of council workman/contractors spend a few weeks driving the roads looking for holes...stopping and doing repairs, all fully equipped trucks to deal with the holes even if they are temp repairs (and who knows those temp repairs might well hold up for a long time)..how hard can that be..? and certainly easy to organise 3 or 4 trucks with a crew of 2/3 blokes(or women if you like), should get rid in no time.[/p][/quote]They don't want to have to spend any money though.Howard Cháse

You can't fix potholes full of water also to send lorries out to go around generally is a good idea but the value for money people won't allow that. Each hole has to be recorded then instructions given so report any potholes. A good site for that is www.fixmystreet

You can't fix potholes full of water also to send lorries out to go around generally is a good idea but the value for money people won't allow that. Each hole has to be recorded then instructions given so report any potholes. A good site for that is www.fixmystreetthe25man

Essex Highways always an excuse never any action. The potholes appear year after year after year in the same place. The reason for that is they are never repaired properly.
Why don't Essex do what other Councils do borrow the money and repair the potholes properly or better still resurface the roads! It must be cheaper than paying out compensation for their incompetence.

Essex Highways always an excuse never any action. The potholes appear year after year after year in the same place. The reason for that is they are never repaired properly.
Why don't Essex do what other Councils do borrow the money and repair the potholes properly or better still resurface the roads! It must be cheaper than paying out compensation for their incompetence.John T Pharro

The bad weather seems to be an excuse for all failures in our transport network.
There are several real reasons for the state of our roads. Government funding cuts is where it all begins, leading to total neglect by local authorities and then on to improper repairs by contractors by just patching up the holes.
This country has always had very variable weather and will continue to do so.
I cannot ever remember our roads being like this in the past, so come on. We are not fools because we live on an island.
Continental roads are far superior to ours, but they have rain and cold as well.

The bad weather seems to be an excuse for all failures in our transport network.
There are several real reasons for the state of our roads. Government funding cuts is where it all begins, leading to total neglect by local authorities and then on to improper repairs by contractors by just patching up the holes.
This country has always had very variable weather and will continue to do so.
I cannot ever remember our roads being like this in the past, so come on. We are not fools because we live on an island.
Continental roads are far superior to ours, but they have rain and cold as well.therealreason

Some of them have been there so long they have started to develop their own ecosystems.

We were promursex after the first hard winter we had in ages three years ago that money was going to be spent on sorting them all out.

More Council bull......

[quote][p][bold]ThisYear[/bold] wrote:
*Why pothole problem is getting worse*
Holes getting bigger?[/p][/quote]Some of them have been there so long they have started to develop their own ecosystems.
We were promursex after the first hard winter we had in ages three years ago that money was going to be spent on sorting them all out.
More Council bull......Howard Cháse

the25man wrote:
You can't fix potholes full of water also to send lorries out to go around generally is a good idea but the value for money people won't allow that. Each hole has to be recorded then instructions given so report any potholes. A good site for that is www.fixmystreet

You must be joking. That is precisely the way Essex Highways "repaired" the potholes last year. Threw Tarmac into the hole, covered it in loose chippings, never rolled it in just allowed the traffic to do it. The loose chippings finished up inches deep in the gutters, down drains or thrown up chipping cars. You describe a system alien to Essex Highways, but no doubt common practice in every other County.

[quote][p][bold]the25man[/bold] wrote:
You can't fix potholes full of water also to send lorries out to go around generally is a good idea but the value for money people won't allow that. Each hole has to be recorded then instructions given so report any potholes. A good site for that is www.fixmystreet[/p][/quote]You must be joking. That is precisely the way Essex Highways "repaired" the potholes last year. Threw Tarmac into the hole, covered it in loose chippings, never rolled it in just allowed the traffic to do it. The loose chippings finished up inches deep in the gutters, down drains or thrown up chipping cars. You describe a system alien to Essex Highways, but no doubt common practice in every other County.John T Pharro

Some of them have been there so long they have started to develop their own ecosystems.

We were promursex after the first hard winter we had in ages three years ago that money was going to be spent on sorting them all out.

More Council bull......

Couldnt people fill the holes with soil and plant flowers?

I sure people would rather rev 'through the tulips' than crash down a pothole

[quote][p][bold]Howard Cháse[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]ThisYear[/bold] wrote:
*Why pothole problem is getting worse*
Holes getting bigger?[/p][/quote]Some of them have been there so long they have started to develop their own ecosystems.
We were promursex after the first hard winter we had in ages three years ago that money was going to be spent on sorting them all out.
More Council bull......[/p][/quote]Couldnt people fill the holes with soil and plant flowers?
I sure people would rather rev 'through the tulips' than crash down a potholeThisYear